Scholarship Recipients

These are the four students who have been selected to receive a $100,000 college scholarship from RMHC®/HACER® to fulfill their college dreams.
Meet them and get inspired by their stories. You could become one of them.

Stephanie Gomez - bronx, n.y

Stephanie is a graduate of Monsignor Scanlan High School in the Bronx, NY.
Stephanie admires her mother whom she credits for her perseverance and desire to serve the community. As a student, Stephanie was a member of the school’s Campus Ministry where she participated in numerous community service projects including Father’s Heart Soup Kitchen serving meals to the homeless, Christmas toy drives for local low income children, and a Midnight Run where she distributed food and clothing to Manhattan’s homeless. Stephanie describes her experience as a member of Campus Ministry as unforgettable and states that she aspires to continue giving to the community. “No matter where life takes me, I want to continue giving my time to the community. I want to pursue a career in dentistry and the basis of this goal is to help the community. I know that as a dentist I will be helping many people, and the RMHC®/HACER® National Scholarship is playing a huge role in helping me accomplish this goal,” said Stephanie.
The College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, NY is Stephanie’s next stop. She will begin her first year of college this fall and will major in Biology.

Sara Rodriguez - Los Angeles, CA

The third youngest of 10 children born to Mexican immigrant parents, Sara is a graduate of David Starr Jordan High School in Watts where she graduated first in her class with a G.P.A. of 4.1. Sara credits this experience for her independence and self-reliance as well as the work ethic and drive to excel academically which her mother instilled in her. “ I want to improve my situation by getting an exemplary education so that I can choose my life pursuits, as opposed to being restricted to blue-collar jobs. I can only imagine my mother’s pride when I graduate. The RMHC®/HACER® National Scholarship is truly special to me because it is making my dream that much closer to becoming reality,“ said Sara.
As a student, Sara actively participated in several community programs such as the Santa Monica Mountains Restoration program, Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy Association, Crime Prevention Camps, and community mentorship programs at East Los Angeles College.
Sara will begin her college career this fall at Brown University where she will major in Mathematics and Italian Studies.

Luis Duran - Phoenix, AZ

Luis is a student athlete who strives to one day become an architect. The son of Salvadoran immigrants, Luis has a close and spiritual relationship with his family. The family has had trying times and credits its strong faith in God as the force which has kept them united through difficult circumstances.
At Trevor G. Browne High School in Phoenix, Luis was a member of the school’s varsity football and tennis teams. He was also involved in several student clubs, including the National Honors Society, Helping Those in Need Club, and Peer Leadership. Luis also volunteers at his local church where he plays the guitar at church services every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. “The leadership roles I have pursued at school and in my church community have taught me responsibility and improved my organization skills. The RMHC®/HACER® National Scholarship is a reflection of my hard work and dedication and I am honored to have been selected to receive this award. This scholarship without a doubt is one of my greatest achievements so far,” said Luis. .
Luis’ faith plays an important role in his life and he hopes to one day become an architect to design inspirational buildings such as churches to provide his community with a setting for refuge and inspiration. Luis will begin college this fall at Arizona State University and will major in Architecture.

Edmar Ordoñez - Spring, TX

A native of Honduras, Edmar strives to make his parents proud of his academic success. His dream is to graduate from college and pursue a career as a civil engineer. “Living in deplorable conditions in Honduras has revealed to me the extensive need for basic reconstruction of many facilities in poor cities throughout the world. Because I want to try to improve the living conditions of millions, I have decided to study civil engineering to one day be one of the skilled individuals who create artistic infrastructures,” said Edmar.
Edmar graduated from Spring High School in Spring, TX with a G.P.A. of 4.2. As a high school student, Edmar was also very active in his community, having volunteered as a tutor at the Botanical Garden of New York, and a student volunteer at the Animal Medical Center in New York, the fourth largest animal medical facility in the world. His outstanding grades and service to his community have helped him earn one of this year’s RMHC®/HACER® National Scholarships. “This scholarship means so much to me. The morning after I had been told I had been awarded the RMHC/HACER National Scholarship, I opened my eyes, stared at the ceiling and sighed because it was such a huge relief to know that now I can completely focus on my studies without having to worry about how to finance my education. I felt as though a huge load had just been lifted off my shoulders,” said Edmar. Edmar will begin his classes at the University of Houston this fall and will major in Civil Engineering.